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Jury seated in Cedric Poore trial; Victim's mother speaks out

Posted at 6:57 PM, Dec 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-07 20:34:39-05

One mother is one step closer to justice as she watches a second suspect stand trial for the execution-style murders of her twin girls.

Cedric Poore says he's not guilty of the murder of four women back in 2013.

Charon Powell says she found some justice when Cedric's brother James Poore was sentenced to four life terms in May.

She hopes this trial brings her some measure of peace.

“It feels worse this time than it did last time...and I don't know why. I just know it's more emotional this time than with James,” said Powell.

Seeing Cedric Poore in court takes Powell back to the worst day of her life.

“You look at every part of their body. You look at their hands, you look at them and you just wonder why or how...their hands because they used their hands to do what they did,” she said.

Every day, Powell thinks about her daughters Rebeika and Kayetie...two out of the four women murdered back in 2013.

Every day, she wonders, what if.

“They were like my best friends and they finally got old enough to where we could do things together so it's been real lonely,” she said.

After several setbacks, she's in a familiar place -- the courtroom.

A jury was finally seated in Poore's case.

In opening statements, prosecutors described how Cedric helped his brother tie up the women and shoot them each not once, but twice in the back of the head.

The defense told jurors Cedric wasn't there at Fairmont Terrace...and even offered his fingerprints as proof.

Jurors also got to hear from the state's first witness, a Tulsa police officer who arrived first on the scene.

“It's sad. It makes me sad all over again,” said Powell.

Powell knows the trial will re-open old wounds.

But she'll go through it one more time...to close a painful chapter of her life.

“I want to see my daughters again. I have to forgive them. You can't be forgiven unless you forgive,” she said.

Powell also says she cared for Rebeika's young son Tallynn...she says he's doing well.

Judge Glasscoe warned prosecutors at the end of the day about Powell after the jury left.

He says she talked to a juror -- which is prohibited -- and asked to use a cell phone.

Defense attorneys believe it was an accident.

Court will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday.